The Swachhta Hi Seva was launched on Friday by President Ram Nath Kovind from Uttar Pradesh. Photo: PTI

In an effort to build public opinion in favour of the 15-day cleanliness campaign Swachhta Hi Seva, the information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry has asked all the television and FM radio channels across the country to give adequate attention to the campaign and popularize it.

In an advisory issued on Friday evening, the ministry requested all TV channels, FM radio and community radio stations to “build the idea of the campaign in their programming so as to bring the message home to maximum viewers”.

“Media has a strong social and cultural impact on society because of its inherent ability to reach out a large number of people in the shortest possible time. Media, therefore, can play an important role in building public opinion and awareness in favour of the campaign,” the ministry said in the advisory.

Swachhta Hi Seva was launched earlier on Friday by President Ram Nath Kovind from Uttar Pradesh. The campaign, which highlights Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cleanliness initiative Swachh Bharat Mission, was launched by the prime minister during his monthly radio address on All India Radio in August.

The campaign, which is being coordinated by the ministry of drinking water and sanitation, will include shramdaan or voluntary work and will focus on mass mobilization. It aims to intensify the focus on cleanliness across the country by reaching out to the poor and the marginalized and providing them with sustainable sanitation services.

The campaign is primarily aimed at cleanliness, construction of toilets and making the surroundings free from open defecation. It will target cleaning of public and tourist places too.

Meanwhile, state-owned broadcaster Doordarshan will also be airing the premiere of Akshay Kumar-starrer Toilet: Ek Prem Katha on 17 September.